Trinity Mount Ministries

Showing posts with label information. Show all posts
Showing posts with label information. Show all posts

Saturday, April 28, 2018

Through the Blue Campaign, DHS raises public awareness about human trafficking:

Investigating Human Trafficking

The Blue Campaign is the unified voice for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) efforts to combat human trafficking. Working in collaboration with law enforcement, government, non-governmental and private organizations, the Blue Campaign strives to protect the basic right of freedom and to bring those who exploit human lives to justice.

Through the Blue Campaign, DHS raises public awareness about human trafficking, leveraging partnerships to educate the public to recognize human trafficking and report suspected instances. The Blue Campaign also offers training to law enforcement and others to increase detection and investigation of human trafficking, and to protect victims and bring suspected traffickers to justice. To view all available Blue Campaign resources, please visit our resources page.

DHS is responsible for investigating human trafficking, arresting traffickers, and protecting victims. DHS also providesimmigration relief to non-U.S. citizen victims of human trafficking. DHS utilizes avictim-centered approach to combat human trafficking, which places equal value on identifying and stabilizing victims and on investigating and prosecuting traffickers. Victims are crucial to investigations and prosecutions; each case and every conviction changes lives. DHS understands how difficult it can be for victims to come forward and work with law enforcement due to their trauma. DHS is committed to helping victims feel stable, safe, and secure.

To report suspected human trafficking:

1-866-347-2423

To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline:

1-888-373-7888

or text HELP or INFO to

BeFree (233733)

The Blue Campaign Website

Trinity Mount Ministries

Friday, October 7, 2011

"COURAGEOUS" - In Theaters Now: (Courtesy of Wikipedia)


Courageous is a Christian drama film produced by Sherwood Pictures and was released to theaters on September 30, 2011. It is the fourth film by Sherwood Pictures, the creators of Flywheel, Facing the Giants, and Fireproof. Filming in Albany, Georgia concluded in June 2010. The film was marketed by Provident Films, which also marketed their previous films.
The film was directed by Alex Kendrick, who co-wrote its screenplay with his brother Stephen Kendrick. Kendrick also stars in the film, along with Ken Bevel, Kevin Downes, and former running-back Tony Stallings. About half of the cast and crew were volunteers from Sherwood Baptist Church, while the remainder were brought on through invitation-only auditions.
The film was produced with a budget of $2,000,000, but on its opening weekend it grossed $2,000,000 in pre-sales alone and grossed $9.1 million total for the weekend. The film opened to mixed reviews from critics, but a rare A+ rating from filmgoers.

Plot:

As law enforcement officers, Adam Mitchell, Nathan Hayes, David Thomson, and Shane Fuller are confident and focused. Yet at the end of the day, they face a challenge that none of them are truly prepared to tackle: fatherhood. While they consistently give their best on the job, good enough seems to be all they can muster as dads. They quickly discover that their standard is missing the mark.
When tragedy hits home, these men are left wrestling with their hopes, their fears, their faith, and their fathering. Law enforcement is second nature to these men, but raising their children in a God-honoring way would truly be courageous.

[edit] Cast

  • Alex Kendrick as Adam Mitchell
  • Ken Bevel as Nathan Hayes
  • Kevin Downes as Shane Fuller
  • Ben Davies as David Thomson
  • Renee Jewell as Victoria Mitchell
  • Elanor Brown as Kayla Hayes
  • Robert Amaya as Javier Martinez
  • Angelita Nelson as Carmen Martinez
  • David Howze as Derrick
  • Tony 'T.C.' Stallings as T.J.

[edit] Production

[edit] Announcement

This logo was released with the official announcement.
The title and plot of Courageous were announced on November 15, 2009 by Alex Kendrick, Michael Catt, Jim McBride and Stephen Kendrick.[3] Sherwood Pictures stated that "After much prayer, creative brainstorming, more prayer, wise counsel, and still more prayer, Sherwood Pictures is ready to move ahead with their fourth motion picture."[4] Before the announcement, the filmmakers launched TheNextSherwoodMovie.com, which contained teasers for Courageous.[5] At the time the announcement, the Kendrick brothers stated that they had completed "about 80 percent of the plot", and they had planned to finish the script by the end of 2009.[6][7]

[edit] Casting

In previous Sherwood Pictures films, almost all of the cast and crew were composed of members of Sherwood Baptist Church, with Kirk Cameron being the notable exception with his lead role in Fireproof. For Courageous, however, the producers expanded their search for acting talent. Roughly half of the cast are volunteers from the church, but the other half were through invitation-only audition sessions. The lead roles in the film are played by Alex Kendrick and Ken Bevel, both of whom have appeared in past Sherwood Pictures productions. Kevin Downes, who has appeared in various other films, will play the role of Shane Fuller. Ben Davies, a student athlete at the University of Georgia, will play the role of David Thomson. Tony Stallings, former running back and winner of Animal Planet's King of the Jungle reality show, is making his film debut.[8]
However, the actors are still volunteers. The film would have likely cost several times more if it had used professional assistance. Director Alex Kendrick said, "With volunteers no one is watching the clock and we're all in it together."[9]

[edit] Filming

Filming of Courageous began on April 26, 2010 and concluded on June 25, 2010. The majority of the film was shot in Albany and Dougherty County, Georgia area. Some scenes were shot in the Dougherty County Jail.[10] More than 170 media outlets, such as Inside Edition, visited the set.[11] The Duggar family from TLC's 19 Kids and Counting were extras during a father-son 5K race. Jim Bob Duggar and seven of his ten sons joined hundreds of other fathers and sons in filming the scene.[12] Their involvement in the film was shown on 19 Kids and Counting[13] in "Duggars go Hollywood". The Duggar daughters acted as extras in a funeral scene at Sherwood Baptist Church that involved several police officers in uniform.
In order to enhance the quality of the film, the production crew is using a new camera technology, "Red One", by the Red Digital Cinema Camera Company. Kendrick estimated the production budget would exceed $1 million — double that of Fireproof.[14] The final budget has been reported at $2 million.[1]

[edit] Rating

In December 2010, the Motion Picture Association of America rated the film PG-13 for "some violence and drug content".[15] That rating was surrendered a few days later, but was later reinstated. Courageous is the first film by Sherwood Pictures to recieve a PG-13 rating.

[edit] Promotion

The contemporary Christian band Casting Crowns released a song titled "Courageous" to promote the film with a video featuring scenes from it.
Tony Dungy, a Super Bowl-winning football coach, mentioned the film in an article he wrote about fatherhood for USA Today. He said, "As men, we could all take a lesson from [the fathers in Courageous] and ask ourselves, 'What can I do today to be a more involved dad?'"[16]

[edit] Release

Alex Kendrick and Kevin Downes search a home for criminals.
Courageous was released to 1,161 theaters on September 30, 2011,[9] grossing $3.1 million on its opening day and debuting in fourth place with an actual gross of $9,063,147 for the opening weekend,[17] the best opening of all new movies released that weekend.[17] It sold over $2 million in pre-sale tickets,[18] the most of the weekend on Fandango, beating out The Lion King 3D, Moneyball, Dolphin Tale and Drive.[19]

[edit] Reception

The film received mostly mixed to average reviews from critics, but has received a rare "A+" rating from moviegoers via CinemaScore.[20] Review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes reports that 38% of 13 critics have given the film a positive review, with a rating average of 5.2 out of 10.[21]
Roger Moore of the Orlando Sentinel, gave the film a mediocre review, saying "the film travels far beyond its dramatic climax, aiming for an altar call finale."[22] Kam Williams of NewsBlaze gave the film four stars, saying the film was a "moving, modern parable not to be missed by anyone who's always wondering why they don't make wholesome movies with uplifting messages anymore."[23] Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter said Courageous demonstrated the Kendrick brothers' "growing expertise as filmmakers with its skillful blending of moving drama, subtle comedy and several impressive action sequences, including a well-staged foot chase and a harrowing shootout between the cops and bad guys."[24] Hannah Goodwyn of the Christian Broadcasting Network rated Courageous 3 out of 5, saying "Courageous' biblical message is clear and good. Unfortunately, its delivery is weakened by some rookie acting and excessive dialogue."[25]

[edit] Box office

Entertainment Weekly wrote, "...Courageous is the real success story of the weekend...Courageous earned a strong $8.8 million, outdoing the $6.8 million opening of Sherwood’s 2008 picture Fireproof, which became the highest-grossing independent film that year with $33.5 million total. Shown in 1,161 theaters (yet, notably, just one theater in Manhattan), Courageous earned the best per theater average of any wide release with a robust $7,580."[1] Courageous beat out all three Hollywood movies which opened on the same weekend: 50/50, What's Your Number?, and Dream House, which were produced with budgets of $8 million, $20 million, and $50 million, respectively.[1] According to Box Office Mojo, its opening weekend ranks fifth all-time among Christian movies, behind The Passion of the Christ and the three Chronicles of Narnia films.[20]

[edit] Related books

Two film tie-in books were written for Courageous; “The Resolution for Men” by Stephen and Alex Kendrick, and "The Resolution for Women" by Priscilla Shirer.[26] "Courageous Living" by Michael Catt, "Rite of Passage" by Jim McBride, and a film novelization by Randy Alcorn were also released.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d Box office report: 'Dolphin Tale' jumps into first with $14.2 million; 'Lion King' now 10th highest-grossing film of all time
  2. ^ Courageous - Box Office Mojo
  3. ^ "'Fireproof' makers to follow up with film on fatherhood". Christian Today. November 16, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  4. ^ Kimball, Josh (November 3, 2009). "'Fireproof' creators to reveal plans for fourth film". Christian Today. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  5. ^ Foust, Michael (November 13, 2009). "'Fireproof' makers to announce next movie". Baptist Press. Retrieved November 14, 2009.
  6. ^ Davis, Rebecca Grace (November 19, 2009). "Sherwood Pictures announces fourth film". OneNewsNow. Retrieved November 20, 2009.
  7. ^ ""Fireproof" Filmmakers Announce Next Project". KWTX-TV. November 16, 2009. Retrieved November 16, 2009.
  8. ^ Crawford, Eric (May 12, 2010). "More Tony Stallings, Part 1". The Courier-Journal. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  9. ^ a b Newcomb, Tim (August 25, 2011). "Faith-Based Filmmaking: The Sherwood Pictures Crusade". Time. Retrieved September 17, 2011.
  10. ^ Cohilas, Karen (May 10, 2010). "Courageous filming to take place in Dougherty jail". WALB. Retrieved May 10, 2010.
  11. ^ Wallace, Jim (June 8, 2010). "Sherwood movie shoot continues". WALB. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  12. ^ Barnello, Jana (June 8, 2010). "TLC's Duggar family visits 'Courageous' set". Fox 31 News. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  13. ^ Wallace, Jim (June 8, 2010). "19 Kids and Counting stars come for Sherwood movie filming". WALB. Retrieved June 9, 2010.
  14. ^ Parks, Jennifer Maddox (May 12, 2010). "Sherwood Pictures takes 'Courageous' step forward". The Albany Herald. Retrieved October 2, 2011.
  15. ^ "Courageous movie info". Box Office Mojo. December 14, 2010. Retrieved December 14, 2009.
  16. ^ Dungy, Tony (September 30, 2011). "Engaged fathers improve kids' lives". USA Today. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  17. ^ a b "Weekend actuals". Boxoffice. October 3, 2011. Retrieved October 3, 2011.
  18. ^ "Courageous Reaches More Than $2 Million In Pre-Sales". Broadway World. September 29, 2011. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  19. ^ Foust, Michael (September 29, 2011). "'Courageous' No. 1 in movie ticket sales". Baptist Press. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  20. ^ a b Weekend Report: 'Dolphin Tale' Leaps Into Lead
  21. ^ "Courageous (2011)". Rotten Tomatoes. Flixster. Retrieved October 1, 2011.
  22. ^ Moore, Roger (September 28, 2011). "Movie Review: Courageous". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  23. ^ Williams, Kam (September 22, 2011). "Cops Struggle to Juggle Careers and Fatherhood in Faith-Based Family Flick". NewsBlaze. Retrieved September 30, 2011.
  24. ^ Courageous: Film Review
  25. ^ Courageous: Christian Movie Review", CBN.com.
  26. ^ Harrison, Judy (September 29, 2011). "Christian film ‘Courageous’ takes on fatherhood". NewsBlaze. Retrieved October 2, 2011.

[edit] External links